Why Successful Ministry Leaders Are Rarely Challenged
Due to past successes, supporters often give leaders a free pass for any current suspicious direction. Allowing past successes to overlook present mistakes will lead to future calamities.
Ministry
Leading Your Church Through the Rest of 2020
2020 has been challenging, but we still have a ways to go. Instead of losing a critical opportunity by pacing through another intermediate stage as a church, what if you created a strategy for the next three months of which your entire church could get behind?
Lead Like Jesus (7 Essential Characteristics)
Are you a leader? Have you always wanted to be a leader? If so, you should learn from the greatest leader this world ever witnessed. Here are 7 essential leadership characteristics from the life of Jesus.
Critical Advice for College Students
The first 2 weeks will make or break your college experience. Depending upon the relationships you build in the first 2 weeks will determine how you finish.
Think Church Rebuild – Not Church Restart
All church leaders have been imagining what it will be like when we restart and everything returns to normal. That isn’t happening. We need to think about a church rebuild – not a church restart.
Daniel [Series Overview]
Daniel learned how to stay faithful to God in a culture that was hostile toward his faith. Navigating through promised persecution, prideful politicians, and petrifying predictions, Daniel and his friends maintained their commitment regardless of the outcome.
Jesus Teaches Me How to Live My Life
Jesus taught the importance of hearing and obeying God’s Word in a story he taught about two builders. The difference may seem subtle at first, but the outcome is dramatically polarizing from each other.
Jesus Promises to Always Be With Me
In Matthew 28, we read of how Jesus gathered his disciples together after his resurrection. On that day, he provided the Great Commission and assured the disciples of his presence with them as they went out.
Jesus Chose to Die for Me
In Matthew 26:36-46, we read of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion. Even though he knew the great cost for our salvation, he was willing to take our place.
Jesus Forgives All My Sin
In Acts 26, we read Paul’s story and find him in prison telling his story to King Agrippa. Before Paul became a Christ-follower, he was actually being unkind to Christians. The good news is that on the Road to Damascus, God got his attention with a bright light and Paul turned from his sin. Paul changed the way he lived.
Jesus Chose to Love Me
In Matthew 9:9-13, Jesus chose to call Matthew as his disciple. It also tells us about Matthew choosing to introduce his friends to Jesus because Matthew loved his friends and wanted to introduce them to Jesus.
Our Closest Relationships Determine Our Spiritual Devotion
Many people walk away from the faith not because they aren’t close enough to God but because they are too close to people who neglect God without having the support of those who follow after him. The people closest people to you must be closest to God.
Someone Near You Needs Jesus
Someone near you needs Jesus, and you can introduce them. Before you panic, I want to help. Let’s figure out who it is before you worry about what to do.
Psalms [Vol. 2]
While all Scripture is inspired by God, Psalms are inspired for God. These ancient worship songs teach us how to respond to the unchanging God.
The Ministry Equivalent of Ford Making Ventilators
When the COVID-19 hit, much of our economy came to a screeching halt. While some industries have prospered, most have struggled. Due to the uncertainty of the coming months, Ford did something unexpected: they started making ventilators. When Henry Ford started the company back in 1903, he wasn’t anticipating an assembly line churning out ventilators, yet that is the reality …
What Black People Want White People to Understand
Black people don’t think every white person is racist, but every time a white person defends injustice, it makes their distrust to widen considerably.
How Your Church Website Needs to Change
Your church’s website is important to how you will reach people. It is not the only way, but it is a very helpful way. I firmly believe that the gospel is the power of salvation to those who believe (Rom. 1:16). A church doesn’t need a website to reach people with the news of Jesus, but it is a fantastic …
Realistic Expectations for Church Regatherings
In the weeks to come, many churches who practiced social distancing during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic will begin to regather. Regardless of when your church decides to meet back together, here are some things to consider. Attendance will be lower. Anticipate that, and don’t get discouraged by it. If your church is intentionally trying to have smaller services, …
Quarantine Recap
Look back over the last 8 Sundays, and look forward to this coming Sunday. Won’t forget, can’t regret what I did for love.
Making Time to Meet with God
Do you have an adequate margin to meet with God regularly? Your most important appointment of the day is making time to meet with God. Years ago, someone coined the phrase “quiet time.” Many people rightfully highlighted the need for this daily encounter in the Word and prayer. In addition to considering a quiet time, you also need to ensure …
Don’t Pause During a Pandemic
Crises have a way of clarifying who we are. Trials do change us, but they often reveal us more than anything else. The same is true for churches and ministries. When trials come, the health of a ministry is clearly seen. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I personally was in disbelief. “Surely this isn’t happening. No, we are going to …
Leading Towards Regathering Practically
I was honored to discuss “Leading Towards Regathering Practically” with fellow pastors in South Carolina who are all also great friends. It was a part of the South Carolina Baptist Convention’s Advance Anyway podcast they have started during the COVID-19. As pastors, we need to learn from each other without pressure to conform to another’s plans. You are called to …
Questions to Answer Before Reopening Church Gatherings
As a culture walking through the uncharted territory of an international pandemic, we know that we have to begin the process of reopening businesses, parks, restaurants, schools, and even churches. While plenty of measures have been taken to flatten the curve of the COVID-19, we all acknowledge that, at some point, we have to reverse operational trends, yet we must …
Creative Quarantine Ideas for Your Church (That Actually Work)
I would have pulled out my notebook from seminary on how to lead a church through an international pandemic, but, like everyone else, I didn’t have that class. I am making it up as we go along. You are too. I have benefitted from hearing ideas from other places, and I thought maybe this list could help you. As a …
Ministry Has Times to Plant and to Pluck
King Solomon wrote that life is full of differing seasons. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to weep and a time to laugh. A time for war and a time for peace. Life provides the opportunity to walk through all of these polarized experiences. Like life, the ministry has differing seasons. In the ebb …
You Know More Bible Than You Think You Do
I teach a large group Bible study on Sunday nights at my church called Equip. The intended goal is to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:12). We have a plethora of ages and backgrounds that come to this gathering every week. For a solid hour, I teach on the topic at hand. It might be …
Have We Idolized Easter?
God often uses unexpected situations to teach us needed truths. As the world continues to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all adjusting daily to make sense of it all, protect our neighbors, and grasp the new normal. Until it changes again in another 5 minutes. As a pastor, I want to provide care, direction, …
If Nothing Is Missing in Your Online Worship
Our church has been streaming services for years. We make it available for those who are homebound or traveling. We have a pretty good system of keeping our church family informed through online content. So when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we didn’t have to reinvent ourselves, but we did have to spotlight things we regularly use as supplements. For the …
Leading a Church Financially Through a National Crisis
As we all navigate through challenging and changing scenarios predicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are sure of one thing: we really aren’t sure how much this virus will impact our world. We know it is having an immediate impact, but how longstanding will the fallout be? While there are many challenging circumstances affecting our world (health, safety, security, fear, …
The Zoomy Bunch
Our Rocky Creek Church staff is currently having to meet by Zoom due to the COVID-19 (along with almost every other organization in the world). Our screens kinda reminded us of something the other day… #RCtogether
Ministry Roundtable on the COVID-19
I don’t remember the pandemic course in seminary. All pastors are learning on the fly in days in like these. We are dependent upon God’s principles contained in Scripture, God’s guidance through His Spirit, and God’s wisdom given through knowledgeable people. My friend, Wayne Bray, has a great heart for the local church. As the pastor of neighboring First Baptist …
Set Apart
I had the wonderful privilege of preaching at Edwards Road Baptist Church’s DNOW 2020. The theme was “Set Apart.” Here are the notes from our sessions together. Session 1 – Set Apart 1 Peter 1:13-16 If God has provided necessary holiness, we should pursue practical holiness (1:13). One sign that we belong to Jesus is if we are fighting against …
It’s Not How You Start That Matters
If you searched for the 1 book that focuses on marriage out of the 66 books that compose the Bible, you would arrive at the book entitled The Song of Solomon or The Song of Songs. The biblical “expert” on marriage appears to be King Solomon. In his book, he wrote flattering comments about his bride, but none is as …
If Your Church’s Leadership Was a Sports Team
In Larry Osborne’s book, Sticky Teams, he used one of the greatest illustrations regarding ministry teams I have ever read. He equated ministry teams to different types of sports. The thought-provoking idea is how some ministry teams grow in size but never change to maintain effectiveness. Here is a snippet from his excellent book. I liken them to sports. As …
Tozer on Tuning Pianos and Uniting Worshipers
A.W. Tozer explains a wondrous concept about tuning pianos and uniting worshipers: “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred …
Aligning Your Plan
If you look at your current financial picture, you might notice too many issues to address at once. Instead of becoming overwhelmed by the numerous tasks, rely on biblical wisdom and align your plan with immediate obedience and gradual progression. #1. Prioritize God’s wisdom over others’ opinions. Proverbs 2:3-4 – Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your …
The Target Audience for Distinctive Discipleship
I attempted to create a discipleship guide in 2018. Instead, God showed me a paradigm contained in Scripture. I wanted to show my church how to use it in 2019. In addition, people outside our church asked if I could share the process. I released a book, a Bible study workbook, and a bunch of free resources at the end …
Philippians
Giving his life away for gospel ministry landed Paul in prison, and yet all he could talk about was the need to rejoice. If he could find joy in there, we should be able to find joy no matter where we are.
My Favorite Books on Biblical Finance
As a newly-married man, the first book I ever read on finances was from Dave Ramsey. The principles he taught me caused me to look at finances differently from that point forward. While there are many books out there on finances for the Christian, these are my favorite so far. I believe each of these is extremely practical and thorough. …
Philippians [Series Overview]
I am eager to begin our four-month study through the Book of Philippians. We start this sermon series this Sunday! The Apostle Paul was no stranger to emotional stress. Giving his life away for gospel ministry landed him in prison, and yet all he could talk about was the need to rejoice. We will go through this book to see …
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